Posted
by
samzenpus
on Wednesday February 13, 2013 @09:07PM
from the time-to-widdle dept.

rueger writes "At various times during the day I need a quick break from serious work. Browsing the 'net is not a good choice because it invariably winds up consuming an hour on places like Slashdot, so right now that means my break is a game of Solitaire. Loads in seconds, takes maybe a minute to play, then back to stuff that matters.
I'm wondering what other goodies could fill that role — maybe games, maybe something that actually leads to knowledge, skills, or a measurable output? Think of it as an on-screen micro-hobby. Any Ideas?"

If you like puzzles, specially hard ones with some nice math and logic try Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzles [greenend.org.uk]. I'm currently addicted to sign post, but I can recommend net, light up, and loopy. Depending on the difficulty level, you can spend any kind of time doing them. The puzzles are awesome since you can pick pretty much any difficulty and enter your own parameters. For net I prefer a 25x25 grid, but for signpost I'm currently working on a 7x7.

They're available in android in a really good port. But stay away from the IOS version, you have to pay and it's garbage.

Besides being an enjoyable time-waster, you'll eventually get good at playing the harmonica and chicks dig musicians.

Anyone can blow "Oh, Susanna" on day one but in a few months, you can play real blues harp. Watch your friends' faces when you pull a harp out of your pocket and wail on the opening bars of "Juke" by Little Walter or "Whammer Jammer". There are scores of quick two-minute lessons on YouTube to get you started. It's relaxing and there's evidence that it improves lung function.

A Hohner Special 20 in the key of A (useful when you play with a guitar player) will set you back less than $40.